Can inverts carry ich?

[Mzungu]

Wondering if invertebrates, such as shrimps, snails, etc. can host/carry/come down with ich. I don't know that I've ever known the answer to this question, so forgive me if it's a silly one.

Thanks for any help. :)

[imagirlgeek]

That's an excellent question. I'd never even thought about it.

Since Ich can be moved from tank to tank via nets or plants, I imagine it could be moved on shrimp or snails too. In the tomont stage it only needs a hard surface to form a cyst and reproduce. As far as them being a host, I'm not sure. I'm totally just guessing here, but I would say no. Since Ich attaches to fish and burrows into the skin, I'd say it's not likely an invert would be a good host.

Again, just guessing here....

[Darbex]

That is a good question I have wondered the same

[Mzungu]

In the tomont stage it only needs a hard surface to form a cyst and reproduce. ... Since Ich attaches to fish and burrows into the skin, I'd say it's not likely an invert would be a good host.

Aha! Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted to know. Well, half of it, at least. Looks like I'll be doing some research tonight on whether or not it will actually use an invert as a host long-term.

Thank you so much, Traci!

[PhishPhreek]

might be a fun Science Fair project for some HighSchool wiz.

[wesleydnunder]

Real good question, MB. IME I've never seen a snail or shrimp with ich but like Traci pointed out, they could possibly be carriers if transferred from an infected tank.

I'm gonna look around. Good question!

Mark

[Mzungu]

Yeah, following what Traci said, I would never put a fish into a tank that recently had an outbreak. If, for instance, all my fish that have ich right now died (gosh I hope that doesn't happen!) I would wait at least 2, but more than likely 3-4 weeks before even thinking of stocking it with fish again, just to make sure. But I was thinking about that this morning, and then thought about possibly moving all the fish in the tank to a hospital tank where I could dose them and provide much more care than they're getting now. Then I thought, "Uh oh, what about the snails and shrimp?" Like a lot of you have said, I just have never thought about it before.

Thanks!

[armthehomeless]

That's an excellent question. I'd never even thought about it.

Since Ich can be moved from tank to tank via nets or plants, I imagine it could be moved on shrimp or snails too. In the tomont stage it only needs a hard surface to form a cyst and reproduce. As far as them being a host, I'm not sure. I'm totally just guessing here, but I would say no. Since Ich attaches to fish and burrows into the skin, I'd say it's not likely an invert would be a good host.

Again, just guessing here....

+1.

From what I remember, Ich can be transported in the water column - (via net and plants . . . or snails or shrimp or even your hands once they've been in the tank - bascially anything that is wet). Inverts don't have the skin to 'burrow' into, and are thus not as succeptible to getting ich. Likewise, the skin of adult aquatic frogs is too thick to get ich. Tadpoles can get ich, however. Personal experince on that one.

[Mzungu]

http://www.jstor.org/pss/3285799

Okay, I'd REALLY like to be able to read this article, but can't find the full text available anywhere. But apparently, like Tim said, tadpoles can be infected. From the abstract:

"However, it is not know whether it can infect other aquatic vertebrates such as amphibians. This study uses a series of laboratory-based experiments to demonstrate that I. multifiliis can infect the tadpole stage of an amphibian, the striped marshfrog (Limnodynastes peronii) of Eastern Australia. The tadpoles did not appear to develop ichthyophthiriasis at low parasite levels (200 parasites per tadpole), but at high parasite levels (2,000 parasites per tadpole) 100% of the tadpoles developed ichthyophthiriasis. This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that I. multifiliis can infect a nonpiscine vertebrate host."

From the first page linked above, "I. multifiliis is thought to parasitize fish exclusively. Many factors affect host specificity including chemical cues emitted or present in the body of hosts..."

That's what I'd like to read more about. I'm thinking the evolutionary developments of ich would make it pretty specific to fish (and apparently other aquatic vertebrates) but after such a successful reign, not to inverts.

[Mzungu]

It's a start...

http://mj.med.u-tokai.ac.jp/pdf/230615.pdf

Doesn't say anything about invertebrate hosts, though. But like I said, at least I'm starting to find articles on the behavior and recognition of hosts by ich.